The present invention relates to a numbering and imprinting machine which prints a number on an object to be printed.
A numbering and imprinting machine of this type includes a number cylinder, ink supply device, and moving inker, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-281883. The number cylinder is pivotally supported by main body frames, and prints a number on an object to be printed. The ink supply device supplies ink onto the number cylinder via a roller group. The moving inker is movably supported by the main body frames so that the ink supply device comes close to or separates from the number cylinder.
In the conventional numbering and imprinting machine as described above, in cleaning the ink supply device, the moving inker is set at a printing position at which a number is printed, and the ink supply device is actuated to rotate the roller group, thereby cleaning it. On the other hand, in cleaning the number cylinder, the number cylinder must be removed from the main body frames, and cleaned manually by the operator. It is therefore necessary to clean the ink supply device and the number cylinder in independent cleaning processes, which take a considerable time. It is also necessary to mount and remove the number cylinder on and from the main body frames to clean it, thus imposing a heavy burden on the operator.